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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

What is it with me about maternity shoots on rainy days? I guess it's fitting. Rain- even when it's inconvenient and it makes us uncomfortable- is the promise of growth, new life, something fresh in the world. These, of course, are the same mysteries that make pregnancy so beautiful and full of wonder.

Believe it or not, these were the dreamy, big ideas I had floating around in my head when I put on my rain boots and coat and trudged out onto a cold, wet beach to photograph my dear friends, Scott and Kira for their maternity shoot.

I've known these two for almost ten years and am filled with joy to see them so happy as they await the birth of their little girl. There is so much love for her already. This little baby isn't going to know what to do with it all!

But anyway, back to the photo shoot. And the cold. And did I mention the rain? Scott and Kira were such troopers. They handled the wetness in true Pacific Northwest style. They even refused my offer to use an umbrella as a photo prop. Having such flexible and easy-going subjects sure makes my job a lot easier- especially when I'm juggling an umbrella myself. (Hey, I've got camera equipment to protect!) And you know, what? Our shoot went great! Swimmingly, you might even say. ;) It wasn't until the light started fading and the weather could better be described as "pouring" than "raining," that we decided to head for the cars and call it done. Thankfully, we got plenty of beautiful shots before then.

So scroll down and take a look! (From the comfort of your nice, dry, computer chair. You lucky person, you!)

Sunday, October 14, 2012

As my final photo shoot before putting myself on maternity leave, I had the privilege of working with some members of my very own extended family! This was a great opportunity to work with a family I already knew well (obviously), but to interact with them in a totally new way. I've always felt that being a photographer affords me the honor of being able to get to know people in a really special way, and this shoot was no exception!

When Sara and I talked through her desires for the final product of this shoot, she mentioned that she wanted to have the session in her mother's (very cool) custom Seattle home. A photographer had once photographed her family in the home (many years ago) and she loved the way the personality of the house was captured in the photos. Since I don't usually shoot indoors for family shoots, I knew this would be a unique session, and I began recalling each room in the house in terms of natural light. Thankfully, that's something this home has a lot of! (That- AND personality!) The end result is that we essentially added a fourth "person" to the session: the house itself!

In my preparations for the shoot, I got more and more excited about this idea of the setting being not just a pretty backdrop, but a "character" in each photo. With a house as eclectic and beautiful as this one, it was not hard to find interesting locations. Indoors and outdoors, I hope you'll find the scenery as varied and fun as you're used to seeing in my session wrap posts- and perhaps even more so!

So, what are you waiting for? Scroll down and take a walk through this very fun photo session- and get to know Sean, Sara, and their adorable little girl, Sophie!

Have you ever noticed how famous people are often photographed in their living rooms? It does lend itself to a certain elegant style...

Aren't these two cute together? The camera certainly thinks so!

I loved shooting along these little garden step-paths in the back and side yard.

I wish I could remember what she was doing or saying to them in this one!

And I'll end on one of my favorites from the whole shoot. What a sweet moment!

As always, thanks for looking, and I hope to be able to post some photos of my own new little one in a few weeks. We'll see!

Monday, September 17, 2012

As one of my final shoots before maternity leave, I got to spend part of an afternoon with my good little buddy, Drew (and his lovely parents, of course!). As always, it was a fun time- and we have the pictures to prove it!

Now, when you've done as many sessions together as this family and I have, it's always a good challenge to find something new and different to distinguish each shoot from the last. Thankfully, Drew is a growing boy, which means there is always something new being learned or tried in his life. He's two-and-a-half years old now, and that called for some outdoor fun at the Chambers Bay waterfront to take full advantage of the rocks, gravel, grasses, old pillars, and water!

Since Drew is older now, we also got a chance to snag a photo of his Mom and Dad together- just the two of them. Unfortunately, not a lot of parents get to have one-on-one photos once there's a little one in the picture, but I was glad to remedy that for these two!

So go ahead- take a glance through the highlights of Drew's two-and-a-half year session and just see if it doesn't make you want to head out to the beach for one last afternoon in the sun before fall!

I love the serious look on Drew's face here. Very no-nonsense.

Humorously enough, a toddler trying to weasel his way out of a shot makes a pretty good photo-op!

I'm so glad we had the chance to capture this shot of just the two of them. It's so romantic with the ocean behind them!

A passing airplane provides a nice "inspirational" shot. ;)

Thanks for looking, and stay tuned for my next post- a NEW family and my LAST photo shoot before maternity leave!

Monday, September 3, 2012

I always love when I get the chance to work with the same family at various points in their lives. I also love working with people who also happen to be my friends. So in the case of my good friends, the Pitroffs, this late-summer portrait session was a double-whammy of good times for me!

You may recognize this beautiful couple from their maternity shoot last summer, or perhaps you even recall the "newborn" session I did for their sweet son, Elias (he was actually a month old at the time of the shoot). Well, with the passing of another year, much has changed in the Pitroff family: Elias has grown into an adorable and energetic one-year-old and there's even another little Pitroff on the way, though it's too early for him/her to make any noticeable appearance yet. But one thing has not changed at all: the obvious love between Jonathan and Sara, and the way that love has grown to include that charming little boy of theirs!

For their family shoot, Jonathan and Sara wanted to use a location that had a lot of variety- a good mix of urban and natural scenery, which turned out to be a perfect description of Magnuson Park, in Seattle. Having never been to the location before, I was open to whatever we saw as we drove through the very large grounds of the park. It ended up being a little like a scavenger hunt; I had certain shots in mind to take, and as we saw locations that looked intriguing, we would turn in, park, pile out, and take some photos! It was a fun way to approach the shoot, and definitely kept the energy level up, because each new mini-location was a welcome surprise to us!

From the outset, I knew that I wanted this finalized session to communicate the sweet, close bond this family has... AND the fun they have together. I'd say the finished product captures that pretty well, but I'll let you all be the judge. Enjoy!

And with that, my friends, I will bid you all goodnight. I hope you enjoyed looking at these photos as much as I enjoyed working on them!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of doing a shoot for two of my very good friends, the Turners. Their wedding anniversary is just a month different than mine and my husband's, so doing this "couple's shoot" for them held a lot of meaning for me personally, in addition to being really fun from a professional standpoint.

To start with, I got to drive out to Montesano for this session, which is an area I've driven through plenty of times, but have never actually done any photography work in. The location was really a treat in and of itself. This little field and cottage are really as peaceful and idyllic as they look. The cottage has a white picket fence, is abandoned, and really does have a beautiful blue door with white flourishes in the corners; I've never seen anything quite like it. And that's not even mentioning the wooden fence, the ivy, or the wildflowers. Yep, when we stepped out of the truck to start our session, my shutter skipped a beat. ;)

But the location itself wasn't enough to make this shoot just perfect. That's where my adorable friends Brandon and Heather come in. As in most of my shoots, what you see here in the final product is a combination of my shot ideas and plain ole' spontaneous candids- which I love. These two were laughing from the very first shot, and our session only got more fun from there. I know it can be nerve-wracking for a couple to be told to "interact naturally" when they have a lens pointed right at them, but they really made it look easy. The fact that they've been married for the same length of time as my husband and I made me wish someone could capture our sweet and hilarious and comfortable moments just like I was blessed to do right then. I felt so honored that Brandon and Heather let me capture their love for each other on "film" that I went home feeling lifted up a little bit- and SO excited to get these photos back to them.

I hope this little "highlight reel" has the same effect on you!

(Just double-click on a photo to see it larger.)

Thanks so much for looking, and as always- many thanks to my wonderful models- Brandon and Heather! You guys were such a delight to photograph, and I'd be happy to do it again for ya anytime. ;)

Monday, August 6, 2012

This post is much delayed, probably due to the huge influx of work I've been getting this summer- woo-hoo! Nonetheless, our dear friends, the Cowans, deserve a session-wrap blog post of their very own, don't you think? Now, some of you may know that I've had the honor of photographing this delightful family several times as the years have gone by. So, what makes this session unique?

Well, This time, we tried a new approach to photographing each of the four children: four quick mini-sessions! I was really excited to try this out, and thankfully, the kids were all on board with the idea, too. Sometimes, in a large family, it can be easy for one child to "hang back" in the photos and for other children to get all the photo coverage. And while this is totally normal, it's also good be aware of so that there isn't such an imbalance between one child's "photo-documented childhood" and another's! One great way to accomplish that is by having mini-shoots, just like the four mini sessions you're about to see here.

Having a mini-shoot with each child also allowed for a lot more individual personality to come out in each child's photos. This is my favorite reason for doing sessions in this format; each of these kids is so different, and I got to focus on those unique elements of their styles and personalities in their portraits. What a treat!

So scroll down and take a look at these four totally cool kids!

Thanks for taking a look, and I hope you've been inspired to try out a mini-session sometime in the future for your own little one(s)! Have a great week!

About Me

Hi, I'm Kathryn, the owner of Camellia Images and the smitten Mama of Milo, my brainy boy, and Enora, my smiley girl. Before they came along, Camellia Images was my baby. Now that I have two real babies, I have the honor of caring for all three- that's where the fun begins!
Join me as I photograph kids and families- both my own, and others'! I'm honored to capture the memories, joys, and milestones of families big and small.

So, you want to know more about Camellia Images?

I started Camellia Images in honor of my Grandmother, Camille, a small-time poet and entrepreneur in the 1950’s and 60’s. Even though she lived in the bustling heart of Southern California, her art reflected the earthy wisdom of the central plains of her youth. She pursued her dream with strength and diligence, and left behind much more than just a handful of beautiful poems. It is my goal today to carry on that tradition of creative vision and persistence through photography in all its forms. Through Camellia Images, I provide professional photography services as beautiful as they are memorable at a cost that's fair and affordable. My photos don’t just document a day in history, but reflect the style and personality of my clients.